1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a biocatalyst-immobilized electrode for use in a bioreactor which is useful for producing and recovering useful substances and decomposing environment-polluting substances in water by enhancing the biochemical reaction of a biocatalyst such as a microbial cell body or an enzyme, the electrochemical reaction on the surface of the electrode, and the biochemical reaction of the biocatalyst by the electric current and to a method for the treatment of water by use of the biocatalyst-immobilized electrode.
2. Prior Art Statement
The method which decomposes and removes organic substances and inorganic ions present in water under treatment by feeding the water to a treating column containing an aerobic microbe or anaerobic microbe as a biocatalyst and supplying a substrate (an organic substance as a hydrogen donor or hydrogen) to the treating column and the method which electrolyzes organic substances and inorganic ions present in water under treatment by feeding the water to an electrolytic solution in which an electrode is present and applying an electric current to the electrolytic solution are known to the art.
In the former of the methods mentioned above, when organic substances are supplied, they are required to be in an excess amount for heightening the efficiency of water treatment. This requirement may lead to pollution of the water under treatment by the excess organic substances. When hydrogen is supplied, since hydrogen shows only very low solubility to water and since the reaction proceeds at a rate which is determined by the supply of hydrogen, polluting substances can be thoroughly removed only with extreme difficulty and there is a large possibility of the reaction giving rise to an intermediate which survives treatment for removal.
As the latter method resorting to electrolysis may give rise to secondary products, cannot easily achieve its object.